Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-31
IRREGULARITIES OF CUBAN LAW.
Bystanders Warned Away from = Man
stabbed and Dying in Agony.

| Bystanders Warned Away from = Man
Stabbed and Dying in Agony.
The shrill whistle of one Of the Havana
| policemen attracted the attention Of the
| people who We're dining in the principal
hotel of Havana the other night, and half
Of them followed the clerks and porters
out on the sidewalk. Directly in front Of
the hotel is little park and near one Of
the small fountains was man writhing
about and digging his fingers into the
ground in his agony. He moaned con-
stantly. He was dying. At a distance Of
perhaps twenty feet from him were four
policemen, with their arms folded, smok-
ing cigarettes and keeping all alert eye on
all pedestrians. II man approached the
poor wretch who was diving there, he was
sternly warned off. The Americans who
had been dining iR the hotel started to-
ward the man in the park in a body, but
they Were pushed and led back by the
hotel employees amid considerable excite
ment.
''You mustn't 60 there" said one Of
the interpreters, earnestly.
why not," asked burly and good
natured Newark physician, moving for
ward again. The mans got cramps
probably from hunger-and a little aid
now would save his life. don't propose
10 stand here and see him die
No. no. Don't go over there. Listen
TO me. know it will be very serious for
you if you
But the Jerseyman pushed ahead, fol-
lowed by his countrymen, while the inter-
prefer rushed into the hotel after all
American merchant who has lived here
for thirty years and who has wide
knowledge of Cuban affairs. This gentle
man ran cut without his hat and called tu
his cuuntrymen in such an authoritative
way that they returned to the hotel again
slowly.
stay here he said shortly, "and
keep away k'um all such scenes as that
while you are in Cuha. The Spanish laws
Of 800 years ago are still in force, which
call for the arrest Of witnesses 10 any
crime or tragedy'-
But that man is dying" protested the
.Jerseyman.
Il can see that plainly enough. He is
either dying OF sickness or he has been
stabbed in the back by some enemy The
coroner has been sent for and he will prob
ably he here in two hours Meanwhile, if
il is a murder the police will have to make
some arrests 10 satisfy their superiors.
God help the men they take into custody.
Prisoners here are kept in jail months and
months-and foul jails at that-wthout
any preliminary examination or commit
ment 10y magistrate, and then they are
tried without being allowed To he present
nj their trials. Witnesses are not cross
examined al.I - fence is executed before
the.,r il a chance for u stay Of proceedings.
Lock about here. You can see thousands
el people watching that poor devils death
sgunieS from safe distances. See them
staring from houSetops and from behind
pilla"s and half closed windows. They
are not towards, but there is not one
among them that would dare 10 risk the
consequences Of going 10 the aid Of that
unfortunate msn
One or two other old Cuban residents
Joined The group, and We finally went
back 10 the dining room The groaning
and moaning of the man WAS awful Ii
all occurred in the heart Of the city Of
Havana, and in = situation not unlike
that of THE Fifth Asen.,e hotel on Madison
square, New York. 1 jumped into hack
and drove away from the neighborhood
when | could stand the thing no longer,
and | afterward learned that after two
hours the man died and was subsequently
removed. He had been stabbed in the
side. No effort was made TO get assist
ance for him by the brutal police beyond
sending for the coroner Two men were
arrested, and they are now in jail
Rlakely Hall = Cuha letter